Elizabethtown College, in conjunction with CISabroad, is offering a May-term South Africa trip.
During this 19-day excursion, students will visit historical and cultural areas of South Africa while learning about Peace and Conflict Studies. Students who go on the trip will be eligible to receive class credit toward the Peace and Conflict Studies Minor and the International Studies Minor.
Dr. Michael Roy, assistant professor of psychology, will lead Etown students in South Africa with the assistance of a CISabroad representative. Students will arrive in Johannesburg Monday, May 13. Here, they will spend six days learning firsthand about the history of the area and the citizens’ roles in apartheid, a policy of segregation in South Africa.
They will visit local villages and schools, Kruger National Park, the Nelson Mandela Museum and the Apartheid Museum. They will also spend a day touring Soweto, where major uprisings against apartheid occurred. During the last day in Johannesburg, students will participate in a service project at the University of South Africa.
The rest of the trip will be spent in Cape Town, South Africa. Here, the students will tour the area and learn about Cape Town’s efforts in building and maintaining peace during and after apartheid. Through their travels, students will experience Cape Town’s socio-economic differences. Besides attending various lectures, students will get a once in a lifetime chance to visit Robben Island which contains the prison where Nelson Mandela was held during apartheid years. They will also see the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Tutu Peace Centre and the South Africa Museum. Students will also visit with the South Africa Community Fund to learn about peacekeeping in Cape Town and to assist in their ongoing peacekeeping service project. There will also be free time for sightseeing and scheduled scenic tours through places such as Cape Point Nature Reserve and Table Mountain.
The cost of the trip is $3,000, not including airfare or the tuition for class credit. This price, however, is subject to decrease depending on the number of students that participate. Those who sign up are also required to take a two-credit prerequisite class during the Spring 2013 semester. This class, “Peace and Conflict Studies in South Africa” will give students background knowledge about South Africa, the years leading up to apartheid, the struggles during apartheid, and post apartheid actions. Besides providing students with background information before traveling to South Africa, those involved will get to know each other and develop group dynamics before departing on their trip across the world together. The 2-credit trip to South Africa during May-term will allow students to see firsthand and make connections to what they have learned in this class.
According to the syllabus for the May-term trip, by the end of the term, students will be able to identify the causes of conflict, recognize the changes that have taken place, acknowledge major figures from South Africa in the history of nonviolence, discuss the different approaches used to perpetuate and end apartheid, understand the role that culture and religion played in violence and peace building in South Africa and have a greater appreciation for different cultures. While it directly relates to the content of Peace and Violence Studies and International Studies, Roy encourages all Etown students to join. “I think they will see a whole new part of the world, they’ll see things that for me, was a very transforming experience,” Roy said. “It’s cliché but it’s very eye-opening.”
If you are interested in or have questions about the trip, contact Roy at ROYM@etown.edu. Deposits for the trip are due no later than Feb. 8, 2013. All students that attend the trip must also register for “Peace and Conflict Studies in South Africa I” as part of their Spring 2013 semester student schedule.